Help A Girl Out officially launched its fifth annual hygiene product drive on March 15, 2023, at Be Mine Boutique in West Reading, Pennsylvania. This event, attended by supporters enjoying refreshments, marked the beginning of a campaign aimed at providing essential hygiene products to girls and women across Berks and Schuylkill counties.
Expanding Reach and Impact
The kickoff event was one of three held at various locations, including Helping Harvest Community Kitchen in Reading and the Walk In Art Center in Schuylkill Haven. Attendees had the opportunity to connect, pick up collection boxes, and learn more about the expanding influence of the initiative.
Founded in 2021 as a grassroots effort, Help A Girl Out focuses on distributing essential feminine hygiene products and diapers to those in need. The organization collects items such as pads, tampons, period underwear, wipes, and diapers, which are sorted and counted at Helping Harvest’s warehouse in Spring Township. These products are then distributed through various partner organizations.
Co-founder Suzanne Cody noted the campaign’s impressive growth since its inception, driven by community partnerships and relationships. This year marks a significant milestone with the launch of the organization’s official website, HelpAGirlOutUSA.com, designed to serve as a hub for collection sites, volunteer coordination, and product requests. “The scale of distribution we achieved last year changed what we knew was possible,” Cody stated, highlighting how collaboration has been crucial for the organization’s growth while maintaining its grassroots spirit.
Aiming Higher in 2023
The current campaign follows a record-breaking drive in 2022, during which donations increased by 82%, resulting in nearly 88,000 units of product collected through 60 collection sites. This year, organizers aim even higher, looking to expand to 90 collection sites, as stated by co-founder Alison Pakradooni, owner of Be Mine Boutique. “With the additional locations, we are aiming for over 100,000 units,” she emphasized.
Pakradooni believes that the campaign provides an accessible way for people to help address the often-overlooked issue of period poverty. “I believe that people want to help; they just don’t necessarily know how,” she remarked. The initiative is also extending its reach beyond Berks County into Schuylkill County for the second consecutive year, recognizing that the need for hygiene products transcends local boundaries.
According to the Alliance for Period Supplies, one in seven women and females aged 12 to 44 in Pennsylvania live below the poverty line and lack access to feminine hygiene products. “This has always been a movement built through trust and connection,” Cody noted, praising the contributions from various individuals, businesses, and organizations that have helped the movement grow.
Fleetwood Bank, an early supporter of the initiative, continues to host collection boxes at all its Berks branches for the third year. Vice President of Cash Management and Business Development Curin Romich encouraged community members to participate, stating, “You can come in and put your donation in any of our boxes at our locations, regardless of whether you are a bank customer.”
Pakradooni confirmed that the distribution system will remain the same this year, with organizations able to apply for products through an online request form. “We collect it, and then by April it’s out in the world, getting used,” she explained, emphasizing the importance of swift distribution to the community.
As supporters mingled at Be Mine, Pakradooni expressed gratitude and optimism for the fifth year of the campaign. “Half of the work is showing up and caring,” she told the crowd, urging them to help achieve the ambitious goal of surpassing 100,000 units collected this year.
For more information on collection sites and how to get involved, visit HelpAGirlOutUSA.com.
